Prime: the Beast Saga
by DuskMoon15
Summary: Coauthored by me and brave kid. When the GroundBridge malfunctions and the kids go through it, they notice something strange. Miko's family lives in Jasper. Jack's mom is a vet. Raf's family is acting wierd. Most importantly, what happened to the Autobots? And why does an old native-american man tell stories of a giant white lion spirit that guards the town?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This was co-written by me and brave kid.**

**Disclaimer: Neither me nor brave kid owns Transformers Prime, Beast Wars, Beast Wars II, or Beast Wars Neo.**

"Prime!"

The single word made Miko's wild guitar riff fall silent. "No warning?" she muttered, half to herself. "He just barges in all the time, like he owns the place – wait, he practically does."

Special Agent William Fowler was fuming – whether directly at Optimus or at something one of the Autobots did, who knew?

"Yes, Agent Fowler?" Optimus kept his cool – like he always did.

"The 'cons are storming a relay station and half my men are getting cut down."

So it wasn't something the Autobots did this time.

Ratchet shook his head from where he was working.

Bulkhead looked up from lobbing with Bumblebee. "What's a relay station?"

"A transmitter which repeats or transponds the signal of another radio or television station," Ratchet replied, still not paying attention.

"Where is this relay station exactly, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked politely.

"Kansas."

"A more specific location will be required if you expect them to arrive via GroundBridge." Ratchet still did not look up from his work.

"Coordinates, Ratchet. Do you by chance mean coordinates?" Fowler asked irritably.

Miko shook her head and went back to playing her guitar, strumming a few chords and then writing them down on the sheet in front of her.

After she was sure Ratchet had calibrated the GroundBridge, Miko put her electric on its stand and switched off her amp. The Autobots were just getting ready to leave.

"Hey, Bulk!" she called as he guardian turned to follow Optimus and the others through the swirling green-gold vortex.

"Yeah, Miko?" Bulkhead stopped, turning around.

"Bash some 'Cons' heads in for me, will ya?"

Her green friend laughed appreciatively. "You'd make a great Wrecker. Sure, Miko, I'll see what I can do." With that, he left.

Ratchet looked at her suspiciously. "You're not going to try and follow them are you?" he asked warily.

"I've got homework to do," the Japanese girl almost snapped. But she said it more kindly than she normally would have. She tossed a stray lock of pink-streaked hair over her shoulder as she walked over to the table and opened her backpack. Humming a tune under her breath, she pulled out a notebook and calculator and began working.

Ratchet raised an optic ridge but shrugged her comment off. Jack had said earlier that week that they had finals coming up. Rafael had later explained that finals were big tests that required a lot of studying. So, it was safe to assume that was the reason for her strange behavior.

Miko glanced over her shoulder to make sure Ratchet was focused on her work once more. "Docbot's distracted," she whispered. "And the boys should notice I'm actually working right about…"

"Miko, are you feeling alright?" Jack asked. "You're doing homework. You never do homework."

"…now," Miko finished. In answer to Jack's comment, she said, "My parents called me last night to say they're going to pull me out of the program if I don't ace the finals." Which, of course, was a complete lie.

"Oh, well, if you need any help, just ask, okay?"

"Sure, Jack." Time to set the next phase of her plan in motion.

Pretending to be thinking intently and something had just occurred to her, she called out to Ratchet. "Hey, Docbot, are there supposed to be grenades in the Energon Storage Bay?"

Ratchet's optics flew wide and he rushed out, forgetting to lock down the access panel to the GroundBridge.

Miko practically jumped down the ladder and climbed up the one near the access panel. She had spent the last several weeks studying how it worked for just this one plan. Deftly, she reprogrammed in the previous coordinates and pulled down the lever, activating the GroundBridge with a loud mechanized whirr.

"Miko, where did you see these grenades?" Ratchet's voice came from across the base.

"Near the center of the room. Should they have had a blinking red light on them?" She yelled back, relishing in the medic's panicked gasp and the sound of his hurried footsteps as he searched for the nonexistent live grenades.

Jack climbed down the ladder, Raf close behind. "What are you doing? You said your parents would pull you out of the program!"

Miko shrugged as she leaped down the ladder and ran toward the strangely blue-white vortex. "I lied."

She heard two sets of footsteps behind her as she raced through the GroundBridge, heading for the gold light that steadily grew larger as she advanced.

* * *

The first thing Miko noticed was the heat as she stepped out of the GroundBridge.

Red sand blew across the barren landscape, obscuring most of the three humans' surroundings. The yellow sun beat down on them mercilessly, leading them to realize something.

"We're still in Jasper," Miko noted irritably.

"That's a good thing, right?" Raf asked.

"Depends," Jack said, "on whether it's easier to walk back to town or call and see if Ratchet can Bridge us back to base."

Miko pulled out her cellphone, dialing in the frequency necessary to patch into base. "Hey, Docbot," she said nervously. "We're kind of… sorta…" It was then she noticed the heavy static on the other end of the line. "Scrap."

"Can't get through?" Jack guessed.

Miko shook her head, replacing her phone in the pouch on her belt.

Raf thought for a moment. "It could be that the GroundBridge scrambled our cellphones. It is based on energy, really, so it is possible."

Jack nodded. "In that case, we'd better try ours too."

But they too had no success.

Miko muttered her frustration in a stream of fluent Japanese that did not sound too friendly. After she had finished, she looked much happier. "I guess we should start walking then," she said.

"I guess," Raf agreed.

* * *

The three kids' homes were in different sections of town, so once they got back to Jasper, they had to split up.

They weren't prepared for what awaited them at home.

* * *

Jack opened the garage, surprised to see his mom's car home already. "Mom? You here?"

June opened the door leading inside. "Oh, Jack. You're home early. I thought your shift didn't end for another hour." She was still wearing her white lab coat, and her blue-green scrubs appeared more soiled than usual.

"I-I got let out early," Jack stammered, surprised.

As they walked back inside, the first thing Jack noticed were the wire cages scattered around the house. He bent down and picked one up, peering through the mesh so he could see the fluffy white and black shape inside. A rabbit.

A flurry of barking greeted them as they rounded the corner into the kitchen. A large black-brown dog jumped up and barked happily, his pink tongue lolling.

"Down, Ray," June said, patting the dog on the head.

"Uh, Mom, since when do we have pets?" Jack asked, beyond confused.

June looked at him like he had gone mad for a moment. "What kind of vet doesn't own animals, Jack?"

* * *

Raf opened the door to his house using the key he had gotten just before he met Bumblebee. Pilar was waiting for him inside.

"You're late, mi hermano. We were just about to have dinner without you," she said reproachfully. She ran down the hall, leaning around the corner. "Mama, Papa, Rafael es el hogar!"

Their father's voice rang out strongly from the dining room. "Venir aquí. ¡Tus hermanos están dando hambre!"

"Sí, Papa," Raf called back. He followed Pilar into the dining room and sat down, glancing in surprise at the numerous organic fruits and vegetables, as well as the salad that surmised most of the food at the table.

"Whatever happened to pizza?" he murmured to himself.

* * *

Miko threw open the door, running past her host parents in an effort to avoid being caught.

"Hold it right there, young lady. Since when are we allowed to run in the house?" A male voice called from behind her.

Miko's eyes went wide in surprise. "Dad?" She skidded to a halt just in front of her door and spun around.

"Miko, you better not be skipping detention again," Her dad said, his black hair smoothly combed and in his usual blue business suit.

"No, sir. I was just hanging around with some friends of mine and decided to come home," Miko stammered, still in shock.

Her mother appeared from around the corner, a fat ginger cat in her arms. "Miko, I hope you brought your grades up like you promised. You do remember that finals are this week, right?"

"Yes." Miko finally got over her shock and ran up to hug both her parents in turn. "I missed you guys. But what are you doing in Jasper? We live in Tokyo."

Her parents laughed, smiling down at her fondly. "Sweetheart, we haven't lived in Japan since before your older brother Shirako was born," her father said.

Miko could see in their eyes they weren't kidding. She bolted into her room, fumbling for the house phone. She quickly dialed Jacks number, praying he'd pick up.

"Miko?"

The Japanese girl gave a sigh of relief when she heard her friend's voice on the phone.

"Yeah, it's me. I think we've got a problem."

"You're telling me," Jack said. He sounded out of breath. "Get down, Ray."

"Who's Ray?"

"My dog, apparently. Why'd you call?"

"Something's weird here. My parents – not my host parents, my _real_ parents – are here. They just said we've lived here all my life."

Jack sighed heavily. "We should probably talk somewhere."

"Can you call Raf and see if he can meet us at the park tomorrow at five? I've got to deal with my family now."

"Sure, Miko. I've got to deal with my dog right now." As Jack hung up, Miko could hear him say something else. "Get down, Ray!"

Miko hung the phone up, reaching for her notebook and drawing pencils when she heard the front door open.

"Hey, Miko," called an unfamiliar voice. "You ready for that ride I promised you?"

Miko realized that it must be her brother. She struggled to remember what her parents had called him. "Almost… um… ah… Shirako! One second!" She looked around for her backpack, and then remembered she left it back at base. But as she leaned down to pick up a pencil she dropped, she saw it lying inconspicuously on the carpet. Quickening her pace, she shoved the notebook and pencils inside.

"Miko, hurry up! I don't have all day!"

"I'm coming!"

Miko burst out the door to come face-to-face with a teenager who looked almost exactly like her father. The main difference was his sense of style. He had spiky black hair and a white jacket with navy blue detailing.

"Um…" For once Miko was at a loss for words.

"Come on," Shirako said. "We have to go."

He led Miko outside to a sleek car that matched his jacket.

"Sweet!" Miko looked over the car and noticed how it seemed to be built for speed.

Shirako was already inside. "Hop in, Mik. I found those old pictures you asked for."

Miko opened the door and buckled herself in just as Shirako handed her a skinny, leather-bound picture album.

The engine started up, and soon they were cruising around town, no particular goal in sight.

Miko flipped through the pictures and found one in particular that interested her. It was a photo of her grandparents standing in front of a house in downtown Jasper, her parents and a young Shirako with them.

"Hey, Shirako," she said, her fingers tracing the edges of the picture.

"Yeah, Mik?"

"Why did Mom and Dad move here from Tokyo?"

"You've asked this question a million times." Shirako looked exasperated. "But I'll tell you again. Our family has lived here for three generations. But before I was born, Dad thought it would be easier for business if he moved the company back to Tokyo – where it started. It wasn't. In Japan, there were too many companies in the same industry there already. So they stayed a year or two and then moved back. We've been here ever since."

Miko looked at the picture again, a thought forming inside her head. There had to be a reason for why everything was so different.

This had all started when she went through the GroundBridge. Just like the time they ended up in another dimension with Zombie Skyquake.

Another Dimension – of course.

This was another Shadowzone!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: To be honest, I wasn't expecting that much of a response to the first chapter. Thanks to all four reviewers, and all those who put this story on favorites or alert!**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Neither me nor brave kid owns Transformers Prime, Beast Wars, Beast Wars II, or Beast Wars Neo.**

"Hurry up, Mik. I have to go to work!" Shirako yelled.

Miko smirked, pretty sure that her brother didn't have a job. But he _did_ have a fast car, with an engine probably tuned explicitly for speed. It was a safe bet he went racing whenever he could. "I'm coming. I just lost my cell phone!" There was no way she'd _ever_ admit she forgot her way around the house. Everything had been moved around. Familiar landmarks now served as implements to take her in the wrong direction.

"It's on the charger, Mik."

Miko found the right corner. "Right," she said, slightly frustrated. She grabbed it off the cord, quickly checking the battery. Seventy-five percent. That would have to do for now.

"Why do you want to go to the park anyway?" Shirako asked as they headed to his car and got in.

"I'm meeting up with my friends Jack and Raf." Why should she lie about that? Not like he could use against her.

"Can't decide on just one boyfriend?" Dead. Wrong.

Miko felt her face grow hot. For a moment, she was at a loss for a comeback. "Raf's twelve!" she objected. "And Jack and I are just friends. We met at school."

"Sure, Mik, whatever you say, little sis."

"I'm not that much younger than you!" Miko desperately hoped she was right.

"Okay, I guess you have a point. After all, I am only two years older."

All of a sudden, the car stopped. "We're here," Shirako announced.

"See you!" Miko called as she unbuckled and got out. Her brother drove her nuts!

"I might be able to pick you up when you're done," Shirako called as he pulled away

Miko nearly balked at the thought of spending another second, let alone another agonizingly long car ride with Shirako. "I'll walk, thank you very much."

Jack was waiting for her at the bike trail. "Have you seen Raf?" he asked.

"Nope," the Japanese girl answered absently. Then she remembered what she had discovered yesterday afternoon. "I hope he gets here fast. I figured out something that is really important."

"Sorry I'm late," Rafael puffed, running up the sidewalk towards them, "Pilar and Juan wanted to come with me. I had to argue with them for a while."

"Glad I'm not the only one with an annoying sibling," Miko growled.

"Actually, they're always like that." Raf pulled his laptop out of his backpack. "I ran search last night to find out some things. Turns out Agent Fowler is an Army Ranger stationed overseas and there have been no reports of driverless vehicles in Jasper… or anywhere, for that matter."

Miko huffed in impatience. "I'll tell you why things are so different here! Do you two remember when we got zapped through the GroundBridge and ended up in that Shadowzone with Zombie Skyquake?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "You mean the time when me and Raf followed you out into a battle field and into that dimension? Yeah, I don't think I could forget that so easily."

"Geez, didn't know you were still that mad about it," Miko muttered. "Anyway, I think we're in another of those alternate dimension thingies."

"Parallel universe?" Raf suggested.

"Yeah, that," Miko said. "That explains why my family lives here and why I have a supremely annoying older brother. This means that I was born here!"

"And why my mom is a vet," Jack added.

"A vet?" Miko interjected. "Green Beret or Special Forces?"

"Not a veteran, Miko," Jack sighed, mildly irked. "A veterinarian."

"That would be feasible," Raf mused about the earlier topic. He appeared to be doing some calculations in his head. "The 'bots _were_ defending a relay station. It's possible an array was damaged and sent out a signal that disrupted the GroundBridge when you opened it, Miko."

"Is anything different with your folks, Raf?" Miko asked.

"Only that they're now health food nuts and are obsessed with exercising."

"Well, now we know how we got here," Jack said, taking control. "All we need to do now is figure out how to get back, or at least contact the 'bots."

"But what about fitting in here without giving anything away?" Raf asked.

"We'll just have to figure that out along the way. We could be stuck here awhile," Jack answered evenly, but it was clear that even he was daunted by the thought.

Miko sighed. "I checked the calendar before I came here. We only have two weeks of school left. After that, we can spend the rest of our time figuring out how to get back home."

"Well, for now, Miko, this _is_ home," Jack said.

* * *

"Jack! Do you have work today?" June yelled from the kitchen.

The raven-haired teenager had been in the middle of studying when his mom asked the question. "No, why?"

"I want you to come with me on business!"

"Business to where, exactly?"

June laughed, as though the question were absurd. "Tim asked me to check up on his horses. You do remember Mr. Whitefeather, don't you? He used to tell you stories when you were little."

"Well, I'm not a kid anymore." Jack deliberately avoided saying that one: he didn't remember in the slightest a Tim Whitefeather, and two: the idea of having someone tell him stories was ludicrous.

"I was being nice, Jack. You're coming because you don't have work today and because Tim asked if you were coming," June said, appearing from around the corner.

Jack sighed. He hated it when his mom got like that. "Where does he live again?"

"Just outside of town, a little ways into the desert."

Getting into the car five minutes later, Jack realized how much he took his guardian for granted when it came to quick escapes.

Just in case his mom hadn't met the 'bots yet, he decided he wasn't going to mention them unless she brought it up.

Once they got going, Jack recognized the now-familiar route from so many trips to and from base with Arcee, and, on occasion, Bumblebee or Bulkhead if his guardian wasn't available.

"Jack, you seem distracted. Is everything alright?" June asked worriedly, wondering if she had been too harsh earlier.

"No, Mom. I'm fine," Jack lied. "With finals coming up next week, everyone is a bit stressed."

"If anything happens, just let me know. Okay?"

"Okay," Jack answered. He knew that no matter what happened, he couldn't tell her what was bothering him. When she first found out, she hadn't taken it too well. Who knew how she would react in this parallel universe? If they were even in one.

"I'm serious, Jack. If something's bothering you, you can tell me."

"I'm fine. Just worried about my grades is all."

June looked doubtful, but did not press. If he wanted to talk about it, he would tell her sooner or later.

When they arrived, they were greeted by a Native American man with a cheery grin and friendly eyes.

"I'm glad you were able to get here so quickly, Mrs. Darby. And I see you were able to bring Jack along as well," he said.

"Tim, how many times must I ask you to call me June?" The vet got out of the car and grabbed her bag.

"At least once more, Mrs. Darby, as always," Tim replied, his smile stretching.

Jack got out of the car as well, assisting his mom in locating some equipment.

Tim Whitefeather led them to a stable, where there were four horses. "Here they are, Mrs. Darby – ahem, June."

The black mare whinnied as June neared.

"Easy, girl. She's just gonna check you over," Tim said soothingly. "Now, Jack, while your mother works, I think I might have something to show you."

Jack sighed and followed the old man away from the stables.

Tim picked up a large brown and white feather and handed it to Jack. "There, proof," he said, as if there were no need for explanation.

"It's a hawk feather. Lots of them nest in this area," Jack replied, not seeing the point.

"Jack, you of all people should know it's a falcon feather," Tim said, his voice irritated. "See how narrow it is compared to the length? Its proof the legends are true. Since when do falcons of this color nest in this area? And get that big?"

"Legend?" Jack was beginning to think Tim Whitefeather was just a crazy old fool.

"The spirits," Tim hissed. "This is a feather from the Falcon Spirit. He guards the skies while the white lion guards the land."

"Lions don't live in America," Jack argued.

"It's not an actual lion," Tim countered. "It's a spirit."

"And how did it get here?" the raven-haired teen asked, exasperated.

"They," said Tim. "They got here when a huge fallen star crashed into Earth long ago. Powerful spirits were contained inside it, and when the fallen star split on impact, the spirits were released. They chose the forms of creatures that live across the globe, except they are much, much bigger. One chose to use the form of a white lion with a golden mane. Another is a brown falcon. The spirits respect all life, and when it is threatened, they will appear. You asked me for proof when I first told you the story, and I have found it – the feather."

Jack shook his head. He didn't believe a word of what the old man said, but he knew that he, Raf, and Miko would have to come out here and check things out. Just to see if they could get into the base.

* * *

In a long-time first, Miko arrived last. She had walked all the way out into the desert to meet up with the boys.

"Why didn't you just ask your brother for a ride?" Raf asked, confused.

Miko shuddered. "I would rather spend the rest of my life in base with Ratchet than spend twenty minutes in a car with Shirako." She sounded deathly serious.

Jack rolled his eyes. "We're pretty close to the base; it shouldn't take us that long to find it."

"Even at night?" Miko asked cheekily.

"Even at night," Jack confirmed, not in the least bit amused.

They walked around, hoping a huge mesa would reflect at least a little light for them to find it by. Unfortunately, they had no such luck.

Raf pushed his glasses back up when they started to slip down his nose. "It really would have helped if one of us had brought a flashlight."

Miko and Jack murmured their agreement.

Suddenly, a large shape appeared over the crest of a dune. It looked distinctly cat-like. There was something eerily familiar about the way its yellow eyes glared at them, a silver sheen playing about their edges.

Jack took a deep breath as the shape stepped into the light. "No way," he breathed.

The shape was illimuminated by the shaft of moonlight, revealing a white pelt, golden mane, and fierce yellow eyes. It was a lion.

Its eyes narrowed as it looked over the three human children. What it did next surprised even them.

"You have wandered far from your realm, little humans," the lion said softly. "You all are lucky Galvatron did not find you before we did."

**AN: It's not my best work. I hope you found the ending satisfying. **

**There is a Pirates of the Caribbean reference hidden somewhere in this chapter. See if you can find it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: The Pirates of the Caribbean reference was from **_**the Curse of the Black Pearl**_**. It was in the part where June asks Tim Whitefeather to call her June instead of Mrs. Darby. The actual quote goes like this:**

_**Elizabeth: Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth? **_

_**Will Turner: At least once more, Miss Swann, as always.**_

**Disclaimer: Neither me nor brave kid owns Transformers Prime, Beast Wars, Beast Wars II, or Beast Wars Neo.**

The three teenagers looked from the huge lion to each other.

Miko was the first to speak. "Who's Galvatron?"

"Galvatron is the leader of the Predacons. He would not have hesitated to terminate the three of you had he been in the vicinity."

"Sounds a bit like Megatron," Jack whispered to Raf and Miko.

The lion growled at the mention of the Decepticon leader. "How do you know of the ancient Decepticons?"

"Ancient? Optimus and the other Autobots went to fight them just three days ago," Raf said in confusion.

The white lion cocked his head and drew in a breath. "That – that is impossible. The Autobots are the distant ancestors of the Maximals."

Jack signaled for a moment of silence. "So you're saying the Autobots are dead? A-and the 'cons?"

The lion nodded slowly. "You three should return to our base with me. Perhaps Apache will know what has occurred."

Miko looked at her companions. "So, can you transform?" she asked.

"Of course. But now is not the time to show you three. Airazor and I will escort you to our base," the lion said. "By the way, my name is Lio Convoy."

A brown and white falcon suddenly swooped down and landed. Not an altogether unusual occurrence, but something was very different about this particular falcon. It was huge.

Jack jumped, clearly startled. "I can't believe that crazy old man was right…"

Miko and Raf looked at him. He'd never mentioned anything earlier about a 'crazy old man'.

"Is this what you called me out here for?" it asked.

"Yes, Airazor. It seems there has been an accident, and that these children are not from here."

"And what exactly is so important about that?"

* * *

It turned out that the feather Jack had received from Tim Whitefeather belonged to the – Maximal, was it? – yes, Maximal, Airazor.

Jack was no longer having a hard time believing that they were currently in an alternate dimension. How else could there be other transformers that claimed to be descended from the 'bots and 'cons?

Airazor was explaining what the Maximals were doing on earth in the first place. "Galvatron did some pretty horrible things to many planets. He was arrested and kept in prison for a time, but his followers were able to break him out. They've been out in space looking for suitable worlds to conquer, all the while running to avoid being caught. When the elders heard his ship crashed had on an island here, we were sent from Cybertron to capture him and his crew."

It was at that moment they entered the Maximal base.

The three kids' eyes went wide in shock as they looked around. Most of the area had some type of plant growing on or around it. Various trees grew up from the ground of the former missile silo. Even so, the technology that was present seemed to be beyond even what Ratchet had recently cobbled together.

"Ya mind telling me what a bunch of fleshies are doin' in base, o Fearless Leader?" came an annoyed voice. A mech with gold armor and a large patch of gray fur on his chestplate appeared, red optics vaguely annoyed.

Lio Convoy sighed in irritation. "Children, this is Rattrap. He is our team demolition expert."

Miko visibly perked up at the mention of demolition. It felt like forever since she had seen her monster-truck-loving guardian. She had been upset for a while now without him. "Demolition expert?" she asked. She walked right up to the short mech. "Do you like monster trucks? Have you ever heard of the Wreckers? My buddy Bulkhead was one." She continued prattling on to everyone's amusement.

"Heh," Rattrap said. "Talks a lot, doesn't she?"

"You have no idea," Jack muttered, pulling Miko back.

Airazor went over to one of the consoles where another maximal was working. "Apache?" The brown and white mech did not respond. "Apache!"

"Oh, it's you, Airazor," the mech said. "What do you need? Have you been damaged?"

"No," the flier replied. She gestured to Lio Convoy and the three humans. "There seems to have been an accident."

"Hmm… Yes, so it would seem," Apache said thoughtfully. He walked over and looked down at the children. "Might I inquire as to the nature of this accident?"

Jack glared at Miko, as she was the cause of their predicament. Miko glanced over at Raf, because he could best explain it.

Raf adjusted his glasses, trying to think about what must have occurred. "The Autobots went out on a mission to defend a relay station from the Decepticons," he said eventually. "While they were gone, Miko here decided to use the GroundBridge to go to their location. There must have been a malfunction in the wiring system, or the relay dishes could have interfered, because we wound up in the desert instead of where we were supposed to."

Jack interjected, catching up. "Once we got home, we noticed that everything was different. Eventually-" he shot a venomous glance at Miko "-we figured out we had somehow ended up in an alternate dimension."

Miko had already picked up on the fact that Jack would not welcome her speaking in this particular conversation. So, minding his opinion for once, she kept silent.

"Very interesting," muttered Apache. "You could be on to something." He pulled out a scanner and adjusted it as he spoke. "A powerful enough signal from a relay station could have the potential to alter the course of a GroundBridge." He swiped the monitor of the scanner up and down. "And all three of you _do_ have traces of GroundBridge radiation on you, so-"

Miko interrupted him. "Radiation?" she practically shrieked.

"Calm down," Apache said. "It is not lethal."

At that moment, three more Maximals entered. One was gray with a little gold on his armor, and had blade-like, white protrusions on his forearms. The second was mostly blue and black, with white on his shoulders and knees. The third was white with a red chestplate and black lower legs and arms.

The first looked down at Raf with interest. "Never seen those little glass things on a human's face before," he said. He did not seem fazed by the presence of humans in base.

"They're glasses," Raf said back. "They help me to see correctly."

"Oh, that makes sense," he mumbled. "Name's Stampy. What's yours?"

"I'm Rafael," Raf replied. "But you can call me Raf. These are my friends, Jack and Miko." He gestured to the others in turn.

"Cool name," Stampy said. "The big, white brute behind me is Polar Claw." He pointed to the large mech. "And this is Break." He nodded to his black, white, and blue companion.

Lio Convoy cleared his throat, and Stampy straightened up.

"And you guys were in the middle of something, weren't you?"

The Maximal leader nodded.

Once Apache finished explaining the likely scenarios in which they could have been flung into this dimension, the three children were properly introduced to the Maximals.

Stampy and Break were new recruits, eager to prove themselves and easily distracted by the unfamiliar customs and culture of earth. The latter transformed into a penguin, and the former into a rabbit. Raf was pleased when he found out they enjoyed playing video games, like Bumblebee.

Polar Claw was the heavy-lifter of the team, but despite his fearsome strength and size, he was quite gentle. Miko was reminded of Bulkhead by this, and began to miss him even more. Polar Claw, true to his name, transformed into a polar bear.

Apache was their medic. He liked to fix up the machinery that was broken or old, viewing it as inferior or antique. He transformed into a mandrill.

Airazor was their only flier, transforming into a giant falcon, reflecting the legend Tim Whitefeather spoke about. The femme was proud and found she was most happy when fighting Predacons. Jack found she was a lot like Arcee.

Lio Convoy, the leader, was much like Optimus – he believed in freedom for all beings and opposed evil forces that threatened it. He was more willing to go into battle than the Autobot leader, though.

Since the teens were stuck without an immediate way back to their dimension, Lio Convoy suggested that they may as well learn about the Predacons, since they would no doubt meet in the future.

A scan of a huge mech came up on the screen. "This is the Predacons' leader, Galvatron," Apache said. "He is called the Emperor of Chaos, as he plans to rule the universe. He is ruthless and cruel, yet shows unexpected regard for his underlings. Except for one of them, that is…

"This is Starscream," the medic continued, gesturing to a scan of a tall, skinny mech mostly covered in black feathers. "He's Galvatron's Second in Command, but has unparalleled ambition to overthrow his master and seize control of the Predacons for himself."

Miko snickered, leaning over to whisper in Jack's ear, "Sounds like the Starscream _we_ know."

"Can you be quiet for five minutes?" Jack hissed back.

A scan of a bat-like Predacon came on screen, a small deployer perched on his shoulder. "Soundwave," Lio Convoy announced, "the Predacon's communications officer. He and his deployer, Laserbeak, use sound to confuse and stun enemies."

Break leaned over to Raf. "He's a bit of a loudmouth."

Raf looked at him, surprised. "The Soundwave we know doesn't speak at all."

"That's quite a difference," the Maximal replied.

After that, there was Bonecrusher, a strong but dumb soldier who transformed into an alligator; two nigh-identical insectiod mechs named Waspintor and Buzz Saaw who were called dumb and dumber by Stampy and Break; Terrorsaur, a red and white mech with a pterosaur altmode; and Quickstrike, a blue-green and gold mech with a fused snake-scorpion altmode.

And then came the drones. Instead of having the generic Vehicons or Insecticons, there were four types: Battle Ravage, a robotic jaguar; Cruellock, a robotic dinosaur; Divebomb, a mechanical hawk; and Insecticons, which looked mostly like they did back in the kids' dimension.

It was all a little confusing.

**AN: This chapter is a bit boring.**

**An important notice: I'm going on vacation for three weeks and won't have access to Microsoft Word, so I won't be able to write the next chapter for this - or any of my other stories - until I get back.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm back! Vacation is fun and all, but what I really wanted was to get back here as soon as I could to write the next chapter. Sorry it took so long; I've had to get ready for school, which started today.**

**Disclaimer: Neither me nor brave kid own anything. And brave kid owns the plot – I'm just writing it down.**

"Please to be explaining again; what is 'Rock and Roll'?" Polar Claw turned his head to look at the slim Asian perched on his shoulder.

Miko rolled her eyes, searching her pockets for her MP3 player, something she didn't usually bring with her. There it was, next to her cell phone. She picked out a song and held it next to the Maximal's audio receptor as it played. "This is Rock and Roll."

"Hmm, it is loud," Polar Claw mused, listening intently. "Apache would not like it."

A sly grin spread across Miko's face. "Say, does this place have an intercom system?"

"Yes." The white and red Maximal tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Why do you be asking?"

Miko waved at Raf, who was playing video games with – and beating miserably – Stampy and Break. "Hey, Raf, ever hacked an intercom?"

The twelve year-old absentmindedly replied, "Yeah, why?"

"I have a plan."

* * *

Apache was fine-tuning the GroundBridge, attempting to see why and how the humans were flung into their dimension, and how, if he could, help them get home. So far, the only explanation for how they got here was relay interference.

In other words, he'd gotten nowhere.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from the intercom system, causing the medic to accidentally cut a wire he wasn't meaning to. Apache reeled back in shock.

And then the shock morphed into something else.

* * *

Jack walked into the base, Airazor calmly explaining what had been going on before they showed up. He was not prepared for the sight and _sound_ that greeted him.

Slash Monkey blared over the intercom and Apache was looking pretty mad. Pretty mad? The medic was furious.

Jack sighed. Miko had to be behind this, it was so her.

Speaking of Miko, she was smiling and giggling as she clambered onto Polar Claw's shoulder, clinging to the now laughing Maximal in an effort not to fall off.

Break scooped up Raf, running out of the room with Stampy on his heels.

"Airazor, run!" Stampy yelled. "He's fragging pissed!"

The gold and brown femme glanced at Jack. "Don't move; I'll be right back." She walked over to Apache, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, this can be fixed."

"Fixed?" the medic asked loudly. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place!"

Before Apache would calm down, the music had to be turned off, and before the music could be turned off, Break had to come back with Raf.

When he finally did, Miko was being chewed out by Lio Convoy for pranking Apache and nearly deafening everyone in base.

"…Sorry?" Miko replied.

Jack was as amused as Apache. "Raf, I can't believe you let Miko talk you into this."

Raf gave a nervous laugh. "Actually, it was Stampy."

The young Maximal in question quickly pointed at Break. "He told me to do it!"

"_Me?"_ Break glared at his companion.

Raf groaned and went over to turn off the music that was still blaring through the intercom. Once he'd finished, everyone could hear an alarm that had apparently been going off for quite a while. But no one had been able hear it over the earsplitting noise of Miko's prank.

Lio Convoy went running to the console, Apache on his heels.

"Predacon attack," the leader announced. "On a power plant in a town north of Jasper."

Apache checked the time the alarm went off. "Alarm started ten minutes ago," he said, casting a sideways glance at Miko.

The girl shrugged and whispered something in Polar Claw's audio receptor.

"I do not be thinking that is good idea, Miko," Polar Claw replied softly.

Miko gave him a pleading look.

"I am being regretting this later, da?"

* * *

Jack held on tightly to Airazor's back. "Are you sure about this?"

The gold and brown femme seemed to smile a bit – if that was even possible, given she was in beast mode – as she turned her head to look at Jack. "If you fall off, I'll grab you before you hit the ground," she said, a mischievous glint in her optics.

"Not exactly the answer I was- Woah!" Jack almost let go from sheer panic when Airazor took off. He let out a short scream that was promptly ripped from his lips by the wind.

"You alright, Jack?" Airazor dipped one wing slightly, turning. "Sounded a little femme-like there."

This time, the cry that escaped the raven-haired teen was one of exhilaration. He had once described riding Arcee as flying, but now he knew he'd never be able to say that again. Actual flying was different – free, like riding, but _more _than that.

"We're right over the attack zone now, so could you _please_ be a little quieter?"

"Sorry!"

"And remember, the only reason I let you come was to make sure Miko doesn't get herself into trouble."

"Got it."

As Airazor landed, Jack could see the mostly black forms of Battle Ravage drones scattered about the gray mass of the power plant.

Stampy was waiting. He helped Jack down from Airazor's back and pointed to a tall structure nearby. "Miko's up there. She wanted to take some pictures."

Jack quickly ran over, climbing the ladder to where the Japanese girl stood.

* * *

Lio Convoy aimed his weapon and fired at the Predacon, who nimbly sidestepped it.

"Can't you drones work any faster?!" Starscream screeched. He wasn't accustomed to said drones being so slow. Any slower and they might as well have been standing still!

"Our numbers are falling with the arrival of the Maximals, Commander Starscream," one reported.

"Defend the energy we've collected," the black mech growled. He lunged at Lio Convoy, scoring his taloned digits across the Maximal's faceplate.

Lio Convoy immediately retaliated and soon the pair were locked in a vicious brawl.

Unnoticed by the Cybertronians, a small figure was making its way toward the battle.

Miko glanced over her shoulder to make sure she had lost Jack. There was no sign of him, and that was good. She had seen the Pred from a distance, but couldn't get a good picture of him. Only one way to solve that – get closer.

She made her way through the horde of Battle Ravages, thankful they paid her no attention. A couple of times she heard Polar Claw's bellow of triumph or Break's eager cry, and kept going in the other direction. Who knows what they'd do if they saw her?

And then Miko happened to finally get close to Lio Convoy and the Pred. Since she was able to see him clearly, she recognized him as Starscream. She pulled out her phone and took a couple of pictures, but the click was louder than she realized.

Starscream whipped around when he heard the sound. His crimson optics widened almost comically as he took in the slight human before him. "What have we here?"

Miko had enough common sense to take notice of the Get-the-Pit-outta-here look on Lio Convoy's faceplate and run.

One should never try to outrun a giant alien robot, especially if the robot can change into a bird.

Miko struggled in the vice-like grip as the Predacon took to the air, and he fumbled a bit, most likely on purpose, nearly dropping her.

"Put the human down, Starscream," Lio Convoy yelled.

"And what can you possibly do about it?" Starscream retorted, the expression on his faceplate unreadable. He rose higher into the air. "Back away or I'll drop her."

Airazor came running with the other Maximals.

"You be letting her go, Predacon scum!" Polar Claw thundered.

"As you wish." Starscream loosened his grip, and Miko fell. He caught her after a few seconds by her shirt collar. "On second thought, maybe not."

Airazor glanced at her leader questioning.

"No," Lio Convoy said softly, "if we try to rescue her, Starscream will actually drop her. She could be hurt, or worse."

Polar Claw wasn't having it. "And if we be keeping standing around?"

Lio Convoy sighed. He knew what the hidden question was. "There is a chance Starscream would still drop her."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Break asked.

Stampy spoke up hesitantly. "I have an idea."

Before the new recruit could say any more, Starscream squawked angrily and dropped Miko, shielding his optics. He transformed and flew away with a cry of, "Predacons, retreat!"

Polar Claw ran forward to catch Miko.

With a grunt of pain, the Japanese teen thanked him. She looked very proud of herself.

"What did you do?" Airazor asked, looking down at the human in relief.

Miko pulled out her cell phone, showing a picture. She winced slightly. "He wanted to get a good look at me, and I snapped a picture." She glared at Starscream's retreating form in the sky. "You're not a raptor; you're a chicken!"

* * *

Starscream dropped his gaze. "It displeases me to report that the mission was a failure, Lord Galvatron."

The Emperor of Chaos frowned. He knew by his Second-in-Command's tone that it did not displease the seeker at all. "_Another_ failure, Starscream? This is becoming a pattern," he snarled, his scaled wings flexing.

"It's not my fault, Master," Starscream argued. "The Battle Ravage drones are incompetent and-"

"Enough!" Galvatron snapped. He turned to a shadowed figure across the room. "Perhaps you will not fail where Starscream so clearly has. Go attack another power plant. We need that energy!"

A small bat perched on the addressed mech's shoulder let out a shrill keening noise. It's companion positioned his servos so it looked like he was holding an instrument.

A heavy electric riff echoed in the halls of the warship, and a bass on followed it.

"It shall be done without delay, Lord Galvatron. I will not fail you like a certain someone I could mention."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I got nothin' to say, so on to the disclaimer.**

**Neither I nor brave kid own Transformers Prime, Beast Wars, Beast Wars II, or Beast Wars Neo.**

Starscream ruffled his black feathers, some torn or burned from his brawl with Lio Convoy, deep in thought. A little girl – a fragging tiny human femme – had bested him. With a flash of light. Now, it was no secret even to the Maximals that Starscream's optics were better suited for darkness, but how could a human possibly know his weakness for bright light?

"Wazzpinator think Three-Head mad."

Starscream flexed his injured wing, inspecting the ragged gashes where Galvatron's talons had cut him. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

The green, yellow, and black Predacon cocked his helm. "Wazzpinator not understand."

Buzz Saw entered, Terrorsaur following close behind. "Wazzpinator never understand," Buzz Saw replied, mimicking Waspinator's vocal quirk.

"As to be expected," Terrorsaur squawked.

Starscream merely ignored his subordinates. _I'll get even… no matter if it kills me._

* * *

Pulling himself up into one of the many oak trees in the base, Jack got up on optic level with Apache. "The Predacon base… it's a warship, right?" he asked, settling on a thick bow as his current perch. The brown and white medic replied in the affirmative. "The Cons' headquarters was one, too."

Rattrap snorted from across the room. "We know that, kid." He strode over, feeling a little off-put by the fact that he had to look up to meet the human's gaze. Primus, he hated being short. "Not like we're descended from the Autobots or sumthin'," he scoffed.

Narrowing his eyes at the implied insult, Jack retorted, "Just making sure I have it right."

Before Rattrap could make another biting remark, Apache interrupted, "If you want a history lesson, Jack, you could always ask Lio."

All of Jack's confidence evaporated instantly. "You- you sure? He's bound to be busy, being leader and all." His voice had cracked as he was speaking. It wasn't that he was afraid of the towering Maximal, just that he didn't feel totally comfortable around him. There was just something about Lio Convoy that made one anxious.

A short bark of laughter emanated from Apache's vocorder. "Intimidated, are we?" Jack's face flushed pink as Rattrap started laughing too. "Don't worry," Apache continued, "he has that effect on most."

"He ain't gonna say no," Rattrap pointed out. Jack still looked flustered at the thought of speaking with Lio. Rattrap chuckled and reached out to grab the teen.

"Hey!" Jack couldn't avoid the servo fast enough and quickly found himself in a loose but steadfast grip. "Put me down."

"Nah, don't feel like it. 'Sides, ya want a history lesson, don't ya? Lio can tell it better than any of us."

"I'm starting to think I was right to not like you very much from the beginning."

"Y'know, kid, I was just thinkin' the same thing."

* * *

Miko rifled through the pictures on her phone. One of Bulkhead, one of him and Jackie, one of the fresco in Greece… even one of Soundwave. "I miss you, Bulk," she whispered fiercely, staring at the picture of her guardian rocking out to Slash Monkey, Raf, Bee, and Jack dancing in the background, Arcee looking on amusedly. "I miss all you guys."

Carefully shutting her phone and putting it to the side, Miko looked across the room at her backpack. _Some things never change…_ She still had school in just over an hour. If she were back home, she'd be leaving for Tokyo two weeks from now, seeing as the school year was almost over.

With a frustrated groan, she realized she'd left her science book at base. Finals were today, and she had planned to study last-minute as she walked to school.

Walking to school… It seemed like such a foreign concept, given she'd had rides to and from that hell-hole with Bulkhead for almost the whole year. She missed that. She missed spending time at base and antagonizing Docbot until he was ready to burst. She missed getting detention and breaking out to find her Wrecker friend waiting at the curb. She was surprised to find she even missed her host parents and their constant questioning of her whereabouts.

She might have had her parents _and_ Jasper in this dimension, something she thought she wanted a while back, but now she just wished things could be normal, could go back to the way they were.

She just wanted to go home.

Even so, Miko knew there'd be certain things she'd miss about this Shadowzone – Polar Claw and his funny Russian accent, having her parents here, not having to worry about leaving and not being able to come back…

"Miko, where are my keys?!" Shirako's voice came muffled through the locked door of Miko's bedroom, but the accusing tone was still clear.

"I didn't touch them!" she yelled back, grabbing her backpack by the strap and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Where are they, then?"

Miko flipped the deadbolt and pulled open the door, almost walking into her older brother. "On the table, where you left them."

"I was just there, Mikoto," Shirako hastened. Miko bristled at the use of her full name.

"I didn't touch your stupid keys, Shirako!" she shouted in his face. "Get over it!" She stormed around him, heading for the door.

"I know you took my keys," came the mutinous mutter, "now to find out where you put them…"

_I'm not going to miss _him.

* * *

Miko was on her way out of the school building with Raf and Jack when her cellphone rang. The number didn't show up on the screen when she checked it. Shrugging, she answered it. "Hello?"

"I will meet you outside of Jasper, alright?"

"Polar Claw?" Miko asked, incredulous. "How did you get my number?"

"Apache looked it up," the Maximal replied almost guiltily. "That is being okay with you?"

Miko pretended to think for a minute. Polar Claw's sharp whine of concern defeated all thoughts of letting him hang. "Yeah, that's fine." A heavy sigh of relief came through the cellphone's speakers. "Where Main Street meets the desert, at mile marker 23?"

"That is the place."

"I should be there in ten minutes," the Japanese teen assured him. She glanced over her shoulder at her two companions, who were watching her uncomfortably. Jack rubbed the back of his head in that impatient, yet reluctant way of his. He obviously wanted to get going. "What about Raf and Jack?"

"Lio and Stampy are being here as well."

"Lio?"

"Airazor is on patrol with Break, and Rattrap is being… hmm, how you say… difficult?"

"I'll let them know," Miko promised. She suddenly remembered the CD she had shoved in her backpack before she'd left. "I found a new Slash Monkey album for us to listen to when we get to base."

"That is great, Miko!" Polar Claw exclaimed with clear delight. "But please, do not be pranking Apache with it again."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Feigned innocence dripped off the spunky girl's reply. Snapping her phone closed, she cut off the connection before the Maximal could object, and slid it into her pocket. She took off running down the sidewalk, drawing a surprised exclamation from Jack. "Come on, guys, the Maximals are waiting for us!"

* * *

The bat-like Predacon sat on the building's roof, dangling his legs over the side. A Cruellock drone went up to him and asked how long they were going to wait.

"Until we are ready to rock, we will wait," he snapped, irritatedly pushing Ratbat's wing out of his faceplate. The deployer was always too close. Ratbat squeaked before moving over on his master's shoulder.

The multicolored drone looked confused. "And exactly when will we be ready to rock?"

"When I say so, you incompetent pile of scrapmetal!" Soundwave gazed up into the skies. "Where are you, Maximals? Lio Convoy?" He signaled for Ratbat to do a sweep around the power plant, and when the bat returned, was disappointed. "Here, kitty…" Still the Maximals did not show up. Soundwave propped an arm up on his leg and rested his chin on it. "What, suddenly I'm not important enough for you do-gooders to notice?" A gray speck appeared in the blue sky overhead. Ratbat squawked a warning, causing Soundwave to look up. "Finally!" He stood, turning to face the mass of Cruellock drones behind him.

"So… are we ready to rock now?"

Soundwave transformed – the unexpected action vaulted Ratbat off his shoulder – and hovered in the air. A grin spread across his beast mode face as he abruptly dove down on the human power plant. "Come on, the show's about to start!"

**Ten minutes later…**

"What do you mean it was just a passing jet?! I got all worked up for nothing."

**An hour later…**

"Let's see: I've blown up half the joint, sent the humans running for their lives, gotten all the energy we need, and still the Maximals haven't shown up. Do I need to attempt to usurp Galvatron before they come and stop me?"

**Half an hour later…**

Soundwave was hanging upside down from a crossbeam in beast mode, waiting for some kind of opposition. His wingtips were brushing the ground, sending bursts of information about the Cruellock drones' movements about the area every few seconds. Strong vibrations appeared on his right side, too light to belong to one of the drones.

Still, the Predacon did not move. Whoever it was would come to him in time.

Less than a minute had passed before he got his wish.

It was the Maximals! They had actually come!

Well, there was only three of them, plus two humans, but still, they were Maximals.

"Soundwave," Airazor shouted, "surrender and leave!"

"Not until I've trashed you like a rock star in a hotel room."

The human on Polar Claw's back peeked at Soundwave curiously, while the one at Airazor's side just ignored him. Rattrap looked less than pleased that the humans were there.

Soundwave let go of the crossbeam and transformed. The display was quite dramatic. He met the honey gaze of the girl perched on Polar Claw. "You're the human who beat Starscream," he stated matter-of-factly. "I like your style." He held out his servos to show the Maximals he wasn't holding any weapons. "Since I've been here all day waiting for you to show up, how about I just take sixty percent of the energy I've already collected and leave? Easier on all of us that way."

"Don't think so, Pred," Rattrap spat. "You'll leave with nothin'."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Soundwave grinned and called to his deployer. Ratbat swooped down and changed into guitar mode, landing safely in Soundwave's servos. The Predacon strummed a chord softly and the Maximals strained to hear it. As they had concentrated on identifying what their opponent was doing, their senses were being more concentrated on sound. When Soundwave slammed a shrill note on Ratbat's strings, both Maximals and humans alike covered their ears in pain.

"What's the matter?" Soundwave crowed. "Can't face the music?!" A maniacal cackle tore from him at his own wit. He played another note, happily watching the two humans cry out and double over in a vain attempt to block the noise.

Airazor covered her audio receptors, shouting into her commlink, "Apache, we could use some help!"

"What's that noise? Hold on, are you fighting Soundwave? I've developed a tactic for such an occasion, would you care to try it?"

* * *

Utterly humiliated, Soundwave clutched Ratbat to his chestplate as he stalked to the command center. The Maximals had turned his sonic attacks – his music – against him. He had been defeated by his own genius.

Starscream watched in glee as Soundwave gave his report, anticipating the communications specialist to be chewed out just as he had been earlier.

What a disappointment it was to hear Galvatron merely growl, "See that it does not happen again."


End file.
